Thomas Smith (c. 1624 - 27 Sept 1661) was an English scholar, translator, and controversialist, fellow of

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 250 graduate students. The c ...

, and University Librarian from 1659 to his death.

Life

He was the son of Thomas Smith, born in London in 1623 or 1624. He studied at St Paul's school, and was admitted

sizar At Trinity College Dublin and the University of Cambridge, a sizar is an Undergraduate education, undergraduate who receives some form of assistance such as meals, lower fees or lodging during his or her period of study, in some cases in retur ...

of Christ's College on 26 March 1640, at the age of 1640. He took a BA in 1644, an MA in 1647, and a BD in 1654. He was made vicar of Caldecote, South Cambridgeshire in 1650, and University Librarian in 1659, holding the latter post until his death from an epidemic on 27 September 1661. He engaged in controversies with the Quaker

George Fox George Fox (July 1624 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 13 January 1691 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an English Dissenters, English Dissenter, who was a founder of the Quakers, Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as t ...

, and against

John Bunyan John Bunyan (; 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', which also became an influential literary model. In addition to ''The Pilgrim' ...

. He was a collaborator and corrector in the press of the "London" '' Polyglot Bible'' of Bishop Brian Walton.

Works

* ''Life and Death of William More'', 1660 (William More was his predecessor as University Librarian). * Translated John Daillé's ''Apology for the Reformed Churches'', Cambridge, 1653, with a preface, ''The judgment of a University-man concerning Mr. Knot's last book against Mr. Chillingworth'', responding to Edward Knott's ''Infidelity Unmasked'', part of a long sequence of Anglican—Catholic controversial works, the preceding of which was

William Chillingworth William Chillingworth (12 October 160230 January 1644) was a controversial English churchman. Early life He was born in Oxford, where his father served as mayor; William Laud was his godfather. In June 1618 he became a scholar of Trinity Colleg ...

's famous ''Religion of Protestants''.

References

(1) John Peile and John Archibald Venn, "Biographical Register of Christ's College, 1505-1905: And of the Earlier Foundation, God's House, 1448-1505", Volume 1 (University Press, 1910). {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Thomas 1624 births 1661 deaths Fellows of Christ's College, Cambridge 17th-century English translators 17th-century English scholars